True story - I have never read Beowulf. I've come to discover there are a few "great" bits of literature that I never got around to reading or never had assigned to read when I was in high school or college. I've never read Wuthering Heights... never turned a page in The Catcher in the Rye... can't say I know much about War and Peace... and Beowulf never made it's way onto a reading list either.
As much as I'd like to think I know the story - I honestly know the bare bones of the tale. Beowulf is a warrior and Grendel is a monster and honestly; that's the most I can tell you. However; when I discovered that the West Stow County Park had a Beowulf and Grendel Trail, I thought it would be something worth seeing! Especially since the park itself was only about five miles from my sister's house and involved the opportunity for "exercise" in a new place.
A brief interjection here to say - have you ever in your life thought of an otter as a "real threat" because that is 100% not the adjective I would use to describe an otter. We came on these otter gates as we were walking a portion of the trail that meandered alongside the River Lark and I was in fits laughing at them. I mean - ensure the gate is closed immediately? How fast are these otters moving and what kind of damage are they causing? Excuse me while I go succumb to fits of giggles.
The Beowulf and Grendel Trail is about a kilometer in length and has six sculptures along the way that tell the story of Beowulf... I mean - they probably tell it better if you actually know the story. but there are plaques with explanations all along the way. The six sculptures are: a Beowulf carving (the first picture - hard to see the warrior carved on it), the Viking long ship, the monster Grendel (missing an arm...), Grendel's mother's lair, the Heath Dragon and the Burned Hall. Each one tells a portion of the story of Beowulf (which I've now read a synopsis of...) and they're pretty neat on their own as well.
The weather - last Thursday, because that's when we went to West Stow - was pretty beautiful with cloudless blue skies and just a bit of a breeze. It was a little chilly if you ended up in the shade but otherwise it was glorious! The park has several walking trails, a playground, a cafe and some other really unique offerings: an Anglo-Saxon Village and a Museum, both of which were closed because of COVID. The Anglo-Saxon village is a recreation of what archaeologists believe used to be a village on this very spot and the museum even holds the remains of an ancient sword unearthed there. But again - all closed.
We perused the trail(s) and found a tree that was pretty perfect for climbing, so we helped ourselves to a branch and hung around a bit. The sun was shining, the leaves were rustling in the breeze and everything had that golden glow of Autumn. We had packed a picnic and so once we'd finished exploring we found a table in the sunshine and settled in to have sandwiches, crisps and some cheese before our return to Bury.
I'm not certain what the rest of the day was spent doing - we likely wandered around Bury some; I think there was actually some reading done in the Rose Garden at the Abbey. I know I'm glad I googled green spaces in the area and discovered this quirky little trail through the countryside that we were able to take advantage of! It's always a joy to explore new places!
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